While participating in the Family Leaders for Ohio Schools Academy at the Ohio Statewide Family Engagement Center, Ohio parent Erin created a plan to create a resource for parents going through the IEP process for reading intervention. Read more about her plan below.
Introduction
I’m a parent leader at Grandview Heights Schools. I was drawn to this academy because of my personal experience advocating and supporting my child who has dyslexia. It can be an emotional and isolating experience. As a dedicated parent and active member of the school community, I want all parents to feel informed and supported during the IEP and reading intervention process. Reducing barriers to understanding the process and knowing your resources will foster a positive relationship with teachers, reading intervention specialists, and counselors. Strengthening the communication and partnership between parents, students, and educators will only increase student success. My project addresses a need to improve communication and understanding between families and schools during the IEP process by creating a resource for families.
Goal
My goal is to have a resource available for families going through the reading intervention/IEP process with their child to foster
family and school engagement and support the school’s mission of personalizing and maximizing every student’s learning.
I will develop a parent survey and educator survey to get feedback on what would be most helpful and what barriers currently exist. In collaboration with the school district, I will create a resource for parents going through the IEP process for reading intervention. It will include what to expect, acronyms and processes, and resources for reading intervention and dyslexia support.
Expected Outcomes
When families feel supported and informed during the IEP process (which is personal and emotional) and there is good communication between families and the school-the student will benefit. Students will benefit by feeling the support of everyone around them and parents will feel better prepared to communicate with teachers/reading interventionists and help their child outside of school.
Potential Challenges
Meeting with school professionals and creating and distributing parent surveys all take time. A possible barrier could be not meeting my hopeful deadline of early fall due to needing more time to collect data. Another barrier could be reaching out to local families who could provide valuable feedback. Parents and families are deluged with school information constantly. It might be hard to break through the noise.
Next Steps
I’ve met with the school administration to discuss the timeline and next steps. First drafts of the parent survey are in process with the goal of distributing surveys before the school year ends. The district administration is going to assist in getting the survey out to families. Next steps also include getting feedback from educators in various positions. Scheduling meetings or check ins over the summer is also a priority.